Your adventure starts in frenetic Delhi, where you’ll zip around by tuk tuk, sampling the city’s tastiest street food and meeting a diverse array of local characters. Then take the train to Agra, to witness a spine-tingling sunrise over the Taj Mahal. Afterwards, we’ve arranged a visit to Varanasi on the sacred river Ganges, for a magical starlit Hindu ceremony during which scholars bearing flaming lamps give thanks to the river, with clouds of incense and rhythmic chanting adding to the drama.

Couple this magical experience with a cruise along the Ganges at dawn, as worshippers bathe in the sacred waters and welcome the sun with chants and offerings.From Varanasi, you’ll travel to the UNESCO-listed temples of Khajuraho, renowned for their carvings of the Kama Sutra. Your trip ends with an unforgettable foray into Bandhavgarh National Park, home to endangered Bengal tigers. You’ll set out on two private safari drives with your own expert naturalist in the park – and hopefully you’ll spot the majestic animals.

If you would like to extend your experience and spend 4 days relaxing on the beach, check out our Classical India with Rishikesh here!

Itinerary

India

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Day One: Welcome to India

Arrive at Delhi International Airport to a traditional greeting of marigold garlands, followed by a private transfer to your hotel. After check-in, you’ll embark on an exploration of the city with your private guide. Travel by tuk-tuk down the grand boulevard of Rajpath (King’s Way) to the imposing India Gate, before heading to frenetic Connaught Place. Here, washermen (dhobi walas) soak hotel sheets, restaurant tablecloths and myriad clothing in the old-fashioned outdoor laundries tucked between the monuments. Have a drink at the perfectly-preserved, turn-of-the-century United Coffee House; or visit the Gandhi Smriti museum, where Mahatma Gandhi spent the last days of his life. Come evening, it’s time for a culinary trip by tuk-tuk, tasting some of the city’s best street food and heading behind the scenes to meet some of the chefs, bakers and families who have been providing fabulous food here for generations.

Overnight in Delhi

We offer a variety of hotel classes to suit different budgets. You can choose the style that’s right for you.Select from Classic, Premium or Deluxe when booking, and click hotel name below for more details.

Day Two: Discovering Agra

You’ll be picked up from your hotel and transferred to the station for the 8:00am Gatimaan Express train, scheduled to arrive in Agra at 9:30am. Then it’s time to explore this buzzy city of monuments and markets, once the capital of the grand Mughal Empire. Make for its second most famous UNESCO World Heritage site first – Agra Fort. Built as a military defence in the 16th-century, this imposing, red-brick building was converted into a palace by Shah Jaden a century later. Marvel at its marble stonework and countless courtyards, then drive through the city, past bustling bazaars and through tuk-tuk traffic jams, to Itimad-ud-Daulah, the tomb of a Persian nobleman that’s nicknamed the Baby Taj. Enjoy a free evening, before tomorrow’s early start.

Day Three: Taj Mahal and Varanasi

Take it two of India’s most famous sights today: First, you’ll rise before dawn to visit the Taj Mahal in the glorious Indian sunrise, when its marble exterior is at its most beautiful, reflecting the rose and golden tints of the sky. After returning to your hotel for breakfast and check-out, you’ll head to the airport to start your journey to one of the oldest cities in the world, Varanasi. You’ll arrive mid-afternoon, and check-in to your hotel ready for a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle on the River Ganges: The Ganga Aarti is a Hindu ritual that gives thanks to the sacred river. Under atmospheric moonlight, chanting and bell ringing mingle on the air, as singers and dancers in elaborate costumes perform by the water in clouds of headily perfumed incense.

Day Four: The Ganges and Khajuraho

Rise before 5:30am, for a sunrise boat trip along the Ganges. The early start is worth it: this is the best time to observe Varanasi’s daily morning rituals. Watch worshippers bathing in the sacred waters as they welcome the sun with chants and offerings to the river. Then it’s back to the hotel for breakfast and check-out before your private transfer to the airport. You’ll arrive in Khajuraho, home to a UNESCO-listed collection of exquisite stone temples, in the early afternoon. Check in to your hotel, then wander the Western temples with your private guide. Every inch of their delicate, 1,000-year-old facades are filled with intricate carvings, famously including erotic scenes, some depicting the Kama Sutra.

Day Five: Onwards to Bandhavgarh

After breakfast and check-out, you will travel the 140 miles to Bandhavgarh National Park, your home for the next two nights. On your way, you will visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kalinjar Fort, a evocatively crumbling fortress city with far-reaching views over the plains of Bundelkhand. Some of the temples inside its walls date back to 300AD, and its walls and pillars are carved with delicate patterns, inscriptions and depictions of gods and goddesses. Later, you’ll continue to your lodge in Bandhavgarh, where you will check-in before dinner.

Day Six: Tiger Time

The forested wilderness of Bandhavgarh National Park has the highest density of tigers in India, and it is the home to a unique ecosystem. Leopards, sambar and barking deer all live among its trees, while egrets, hornbills, kingfishers and eagles populate its skies. Before breakfast, you’ll head out on a safari drive in your own exclusive private vehicle with an expert naturalist guide (early morning is the best time to spot the region’s wildlife). Return to the hotel by 10.00am for breakfast and time to relax, before a longer afternoon drive through the wilderness as dusk falls.

Day Seven: Heading Home

Your final morning provides another opportunity to search for wildlife as you take a game drive before breakfast. Check-out after lunch, when you will be transferred by private taxi to the Jabalpur airport for your flight to Delhi where the trip will end (included in the holiday price).

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